Chloe's Decision
by skye718
Summary: What would you do if your best friend refuses to use his powers to save the man you love? Moments of separation brings moments of clarity. Spoilers relating to season 9 episode 1 of Smallville.
1. Chapter 1

Clark and Chloe stood looking at each other. He was dressed in all black, the symbol of the House of El on his shirt. There was nothing that suggested that these two were best of friends, who would go to hell and back to save each other.

And Chloe was crying.

"Please Clark, do this for me." she sobbed. "Take the ring; go back in time and save him. Please save Jimmy."

"I can't Chloe. Not this time." Clark said.

Chloe looked at him. All Clark did was run from his destiny, defying anyone - especially Jor-El's definition of the man he was to become. He felt himself responsible for Jimmy's death which sent him down a spiral of emotional detachment.

Clark thought he was rising above all. Little did he know he was sinking in quicksand.

"Well it's good that you're embracing your Kryptonian side." Chloe wiped her eyes. "Because the Clark Kent I knew doesn't exist anymore."

And Chloe may not be there to pull him out.

…

Chloe sat on the floor, looking outside the window of the apartment Jimmy had bought for them. The sun was setting in magnificent shades of peach and pink. She could imagine Jimmy next to her, a red cloth on the floor, dinner, candlelight, rose petals.

She closed her eyes and in her daydream with the romance set before her she looked up.

Davis sat there, smiling gently.

She opened her eyes.

Rose petals reminded her of Davis. But even that was a dream.

She didn't blame Davis for Jimmy's death at all. She knew she was using him. Gosh, she hated how that sounded. She wanted to save him, to give him a chance and she knew that he felt that she was falling in love with him.

But why go through all that trouble?

With Clark it was best buds forever. With Jimmy she thought she had found the man she wanted to spend the rest of her life with. It was simple.

Simple.

And that was the problem. When things had gotten complicated between them - one of the bolted for the door.

She picked up the Legion ring lying next to her and put it on.

Did she want simple?

She closed her eyes and saw in her daydream two men standing before her.

One who would promise to make life simple if she had no 'love' attachments to anyone else. In his hand she saw the love letter for Clark.

The other she saw that when she couldn't keep it all in, his arms would be open to hold her close.

She closed her eyes and heard him say "Without you, the man that I want to be doesn't exist."

A light from the ring glowed and Chloe disappeared in a flash of white.


	2. Chapter 2

_Chloe from the future is known as Chloe (F) and Chloe from the past is Chloe (P) _

Chloe (F) braced herself as she landed in a flash of white near Edge City. She stood behind a tree watching Davis relate Greek or Roman mythology to her past self. Any moment would Oliver and his team arrive to knock them out.

Impulse was the weapon being used. Davis couldn't win against speed and Chloe(F) knew her mind couldn't work fast enough.

She needed to get Chloe (P) and Davis away from everyone, split Davis from the Beast and make sure that the monster didn't wreck the city.

"THERE IS NOTHING LEFT TO SAVE!"

She heard Davis's voice in her head. Heartbroken, grieving at the love he never received in his life. She was the one person who stood by him through thick and thin and, she had snatched that away from him.

Now he looked so peaceful lying on the car watching the shooting star zip across the galaxy. She remembered her smile, a mixture of reassurance yet doubt, doubt that she did not want Davis to see.

But she had to do something first. She took out her phone and dialed.

"Please pick up, pick up." she mumbled.

"Hello Chloe, oh my God, you'll never guess" Jimmy's voice came frantically over the phone.

"Jimmy, slow down." She remembered when he had proposed with the same anxiety only this time it was heightened. Funny that he was actually talking to her "What's going on?"

"Clark. I knew it - the photos, meteor rock." Jimmy said excitedly. "And he confirmed it, his secret. And you knew."

"I'm sorry for lying to you Jimmy." her voice broke.

"No, no, don't be sorry." Jimmy said "I understand. I understand the sacrifices you had to make. I understand everything now. Now we can go back as normal."

"We can't go back as normal Henry." she said.

"You just called me.."

"Henry? Yes. You're Henry James Olsen not Jimmy." She said. "When last have you seen your dad or your little brother?"

"How did you know that…?"

"Jimmy. Please." Chloe (F) calmed herself. "You can't stay in Metropolis. Please, go to Oklahoma."

"Chloe, you're scaring me. What are you not telling me?"

The truth.

"I can't be with you Jimmy." Chloe (F) said. "You know Clark's secret now but soon that's going to be a problem."

"No Chloe. It wouldn't."

"Yes. You want the 2 and a half kids and the doting wife. But I can't be that person for you."

Jimmy paused. "I think I'll visit them this weekend."

"No Jimmy." Chloe said. "Tonight."

"Chloe." He said in a tone she knew so well.

"Jimmy, some secrets aren't mine to tell." She said and he knew that this was it.

"So this is it huh," he tried not to sound hurt but she knew him too well.

"I'm so sorry Jimmy," Chloe (F) replied. "But we were lying to both ourselves. I love you Jimmy but not the kind of love you want or deserve. I've been clinging to my comfort zone for too long now."

She only heard silence for five seconds.

"I guess." Jimmy began. "I guess that somewhere in the back of my mind I knew it was going to end up this way. And there are some things within me that I need to face. I'm sorry for saying I regretted being with you but I understand it's the end of us. Goodbye Chloe."

Chloe needed to find Emil. She decided to let everything go as planned for now. She left the two at the car and walked a short way until she found another street.

A silver sports car drove up and screeched to a stop. The driver rolled down the window.

"Chloe!"

"Emil!, thank God." Chloe got into the passenger seat next to him.

"What's going on?" Emil asked looking slightly confused. "Where's Davis?"

"Just drive." Chloe said.

"Are you running...?"

"No, no, it's nothing like that."

Emil looks at her. She looks different. Her hair was curly and her eyes were wary yet frantic.

"You could tell me what's going on," Emil said. "You can trust me."

Chloe looked at him and she believed him 100%. But she couldn't risk the bonus points of telling him.

"I do. But there are things to be explained that will take forever." Chloe said. "I just need you to help Clark. Just tell him what I'm about to tell you"

"Chloe, it's not working." Davis looked up at her, eyes almost watering, sad and panicky at the same time. She sees the pain etched in his face.

"Davis, just focus on me, okay. We'll get through this just like we always have." She cradles his cheek with her soft firm palm. He just wants to close his eyes and rest.

But he can't. The Beast is eager and later flings away his opponents.

"Chloe! No!" Oliver yells as he takes aim.

Clark is about to speed into the warehouse where Chloe is but someone in the shadows talks to him.

"Hello Clark." Emil stepped out.

"Emil, what are you doing here?"

"Chloe sent me. She said to tell you not to go into the warehouse."

"Why? Is she okay?" Clark asked. "I hope no one has hurt her."

"And by no one you mean Davis right. Their chemistry is beyond normalcy, beyond lust, love and obsession. There's no denying those two." Emil said. "I don't quite understand what's happening but she told me that she's going to split the Beast but she fears it may massacre the streets of Metropolis. She said to call J'onn J'onzz."

"Did someone mention my name?"

Clark and Emil turned around to see John standing behind them.

"Chloe called." John said and then he shook hands with Emil. "It's a pleasure meeting a new friend of Chloe's."

"Same here." Emil said. "So are the streets empty?"

"Everyone got the message loud and clear." John said. "Apparently there is a 'tornado' coming. Clark, it's your job to stop it."

"I'm on it." Clark said and sped off.

….

Chloe (F) watches from a distance as Chloe (P) sits on the floor next to an unconscious Davis. The future Chloe has the urge to hold him close but she stands back for fear of disrupting the fabric of time.

Davis struggles to get up and the only thing he could do is crawl to her lap. She wraps her arms around him, feeling the holes in his t shirt.

Clark was supposed to come at this moment and take her to Jimmy's apartment. But he wouldn't be coming tonight.

"You can go back to him if you want."

Both Chloes aren't sure if they heard right.

"Davis, what are you saying?" Chloe (P) asked.

"You stayed with me because of that monster." Davis said pulling away from her. "Because I had a monster in me. Because I was one. I don't want you to feel obligated.'

He wasn't really supposed to awake now. He was supposed to awake in Jimmy's apartment and listen to his heart break and fall to the ground shattering like glass from the impact.

"No, no, no, no, no Davis." Chloe lunges from him, putting her arms around his torn shirt. It finally hit her. What if she really went back to Jimmy and begged him to take her back. What if she was left with the tears and the door swinging shut?

As unstable as the threat of this relationship was, is and is going to be, Davis was unwavering in his affections. She didn't cry because of him. She cried on him, for him. He comforted her, she comforted him. She helped clean up the mess of the man who attacked her. Life was a mess. But she couldn't hide behind anything now.

Chloe (P) pulls him into a kiss. He responds by letting her take the lead. They kiss slowly, eyes closed, not even noticing the flash of white in the corner behind the boxes.

She pulled away and smiled. "I think you need to move out from the basement now."

….

_One Day later._

Clark didn't arrive.

Chloe has no gun by her pillow.

She hasn't been haunted by the sight of blood.

She remembers what she did and doesn't understand it. She remembered all her actions. For Clark she had a weakness, for Jimmy she had a weakness. It was the weakness of constantly going back to them. For Davis she had strength and the choice to leave. He said it. He didn't need to hear her say that she never loved him.

But she did. But she was too scared and ran back to the safety of familiarity. At least Jimmy always came back.

But Davis wouldn't always come back because how could he do that if he already made his mind up to stay loyal to her forever.

"I was ready to run back to him because he bought an apartment?" she muttered, surprised at herself.

Jimmy was the guy that she did love once. Jimmy the summer regret that she ended up saying yes to. Jimmy the 'we belong together then breaking up with her guy'. Jimmy with the love letter that was not to him. Jimmy the sweet guy who knew lines by heart to his favourite black and white movies. Jimmy the guy she tasered and then the one who told her that she was the biggest mistake of his life. Jimmy the guy with the bow tie and cute smile.

Chloe walked over to the bed where Davis lay. His eyes were open and a bit pensive.

"What's the matter?" she said as she sat down and put her hand to his cheek.

"I'm not supposed to feel empty. It's abnormal." Davis said.

"This is exactly how you should feel right now." Chloe ran her fingers on his short hair. "You just went through a major trauma. Your body needs to rest and recover."

He kisses her hand and she wants to have him. But she can't risk his health.

Chloe is satisfied with leaning forward and kissing him on the lips. She kicks off her bunny slippers and pulls her feet up on the bed. She is halfway on him and halfway off. His left arm holds her to him.

There will be plenty of time for the angst of passion. Right now she lets him move his fingers along her lower back. No one will take advantage of the other tonight, each a willing participant.

He closes his eyes and breathes deeply. Chloe stops, not wanting to exert him. Her kisses had grown stronger. But it was Davis and she was blameless.

He opened his eyes, fearful that this was a dream. Fearful he was alone.

"I thought..." Davis began and something in her eyes made him stop.

Chloe rests one of her small hands on his neck. "Rest love because I don't think I can leave you."

...

Many people may disagree with me but this feels more realistic to me than the Davis that was shown to us at the end of the finale. With all Doomsday's busting out at all hours of the night having him pretty exhausted I would imagine the finale stretch would have him totally worn out. For him to be up and healthy and angry all of a sudden just doesn't seem right, to me.


End file.
